Ducks get a wakeup call from Stars

April 21, 2014

Updated 11:33 p.m.

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Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri falls to the ice while being pursued by the Stars' Ryan Garbutt, left, and Jordie Benn during the second period Monday. Dallas shut out the Ducks, 3-0, and cut the Ducks' series lead to 2-1. CHRISTINE COTTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen looks up at the scoreboard and can't like what he sees. The Ducks lost to the Stars 3-0 in their playoff game in Dallas on Monday. CHRISTINE COTTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Ducks' Stephane Robidas, middle, is helped off the ice by teammate Teemu Selann and a trainer after breaking his leg early in the second period Monday. CHRISTINE COTTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri falls to the ice while being pursued by the Stars' Ryan Garbutt, left, and Jordie Benn during the second period Monday. Dallas shut out the Ducks, 3-0, and cut the Ducks' series lead to 2-1. CHRISTINE COTTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

DALLAS – Rarely are there series in the Stanley Cup playoffs where one team has a cakewalk. The Ducks never expected that in this Western Conference quarterfinal, and the Stars made sure of it Monday night.

Kari Lehtonen's first playoff win was a shutout as he stopped 37 shots and Jamie Benn got his second goal of the series as the Stars cruised to a 3-0 victory in Game 3 at a charged-up American Airlines Center.

The Stars also got goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Ryan Garbutt to support Lehtonen, who was playing in his fifth playoff game and third with Dallas. Lehtonen lost two games in 2007 while with Atlanta.

"At the age of 30, it was about time to get that first one," Lehtonen said. "It was nice to be able to be back there and help the team out. That’s what I have to keep doing."

The Ducks will carry a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 on Wednesday night but they will do so without defenseman Stephane Robidas, who will be lost for the remainder of the postseason because of a broken right leg suffered in the first minute of the second period.

Frederik Andersen made 19 saves for the Ducks, who could never get in position to pounce on the few rebounds that Lehtonen left. Lehtonen had been outplayed by Andersen in the first two games and came into Game 3 with a 4.58 goals-against average in four playoff outings.

"I think we need a little more traffic and second opportunities," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "A lot of the pucks that he saw tonight, he saw them all the way. You're not going to beat a goalie like that. He's world-class."

The Stars not only got physical with the Ducks but they were able to get to the net and convert. Benn did so in with 35 seconds left in the first as he exited the penalty box and put away a rebound Andersen left that defenseman Hampus Lindholm couldn't clear.

Meanwhile, Garbutt and Antoine Roussel were able to agitate and get the Ducks' stars off their game. Roussel managed to get Getzlaf off the ice in the second, and Stars defenseman Trevor Daley did the same with Corey Perry.

Nichushkin provided some breathing room late in the period. The talented Russian rookie got a pass from Tyler Seguin on a rush and put a shot between Andersen's pads for a 2-0 lead.

Garbutt put it out of reach with his second goal of the series, banging in a shot on the Stars' third try in from Andersen.

“If you want to score, you got to go to those tough places," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Obviously, they scored a rebound goal that was the third goal. A rebound goal was the first goal.

"I mean they were going to the net pretty good but we’ve got to do better than that. We’ve got to go to the net hard and if we want to score that’s how you get it done."

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